Two city-centre car parks are due to go on the market after a leisure developer hit funding problems.

The 160-space Vicar Lane car park will go up for sale, together with the 150 space Exchange Court outside the Victoria Hotel.

They are expected to bring more than £6 million into Council coffers.

Chairman of the Coun-cil's regeneration committee Councillor Dave Green says interest has been expressed around the country for the sites, which are being marketed as suitable for retail, leisure or offices.

It is understood millionaire Eddie Healey, who developed Sheffield's Meadowhall shopping centre, is interested in Vicar Lane. Coun Green said: "We will be looking for a strong track record and guarantees that funding is in place."

Vicar Lane is back on the market after developers of a proposed multi-million pound leisure scheme pulled out because of funding problems.

The Council's property service division says the Exchange Court car park is also suitable for leisure but had not been previously marketed.

But today, the leader of the Council's Tory Group Councillor Margaret Eat-on said: "We were assured constantly by the Council that the last scheme was going ahead. Bradford Council seems to be doing everything it can to thwart development and should look at its incompetence and bureaucracy."

And Councillor John Cole (Baildon, Lib Dem) a committee member said: "The previous Vicar Lane affair was an absolute shambles. The decision to fund the Rawson Market redevelopment from the sale was totally wrong."

Officers will tell next week's meeting of the regeneration committee that the inclusion of Exchange Court could result in imaginative schemes for both areas.

Now the Council will go back to the drawing board, offering Vicar Lane as suitable for leisure, shopping and offices.

The developer will have to provide 750 long-term parking places. from which the Council would retain the income.

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